Mall shopping is a buzzword for Indian youth. Mall culture is viewed as a significant change in the life style of Indians, as shopping is no longer an activity of buying things but also viewed as a status symbol and a one-stop retail solution. Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore have received greater economic and social contributions from malls and now it is the turn of the the Tier-2 cities like Coimbatore. The coimbatorians are in josh with the advent of two malls and a few more are to come up in the city as they attract them with comfort, entertainment, fashion, food court, window shopping, multibrand portfolio, quality, mall essence, convenience, attractiveness and luxury. This paper focuses on the factors influencing the consumer preference towards malls in Coimbatore. This city is important for its revenue growth, which is nearly twice as much as India’s growth, and high frequency of shopping attitude after the advent of malls. The research design is descriptive and primary data were collected using a survey questionnaire. The sample consisted of 406 respondents and the sampling method was simple random sampling. The respondents were potential general public shopping in the malls. The data was analyzed using SPSS 17. Paired-t-test, factor analysis, ANOVA and frequencies tests were performed. The results give an insight into the frequency and hours of spending pattern of the shoppers in the malls. A model for mall-mania has also been derived through factor analysis.

The retail industry of India is booming at a rapid pace in the recent times. Tier 1 cities of India like Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangalore have received greater economic and social contributions from the malls not only in India but also around the globe. Spencer Plaza, Chennai, is the first mall to be opened up in Indian history. Spencer Plaza started its operation in the year 1863. Even, Tier-2 cities like Coimbatore are now witnessing the same phenomenon. In Coimbatore, already two such shopping malls have come up, and many more malls are all set to conquer the city. A mall is a place which has a collection of independent retail stores, services and a vast parking area; they also contain restaurants, banks, theaters, professional offices, service stations, etc. Mall shopping is a buzzword for Indian youth. Mall culture is viewed as a significant change in the lifestyle of Indians, as shopping is no longer an activity of buying things but also viewed as a status symbol and a one-stop retail solution. Coimbatore, which is known as the ‘Manchester of South India’, has a population of about 3,472,578 according to 2011 census, with a GDP per capita of 19,930, standing next to Chennai and Kanchipuram. This shows that people of Coimbatore have deep pockets. It is said that Coimbatore’s revenue growth is nearly twice as much as all-India growth. Despite the slow moving national economy, revenue growth of Coimbatore zone was 65% in 2011, and it is the second highest, next only to the state capital, Chennai. A large number of Coimbatore consumers have at least one car and need parking space while shopping. This clearly shows that the shopping habits of the people of Coimbatore have changed and will keep changing. To meet the changing habits of customers, retail stores had to change themselves. This led to the development of mall culture in Coimbatore. This study focuses on the factors influencing the consumer preference towards malls in Coimbatore and frequency of shopping attitude after the establishment of malls. Comfort, entertainment, fashion, food court, window shopping, multibrand portfolio, quality, mall essence, convenience, attractiveness and luxury are the factors considered for the study.

This is the first study to provide an insight into mall attractiveness factors in a Tier-2 South Indian city like Coimbatore. The objective of the study is to explore and identify the craze of Coimbatorians for malls, drastically changing their lifestyle.

Marketing Management Journal, Mall Mania, Factors Influencing Consumers’, Shopping Malls in Coimbatore, Paired-t-test, factor analysis, ANOVA.